Liverpool managing director Ian Ayre called the ongoing litigation being pursued by former owners Tom Hicks and George Gillette "an unwanted and unwelcome distraction," while maintaining that the board is "extremely confident we did the right thing" in selling the club.

During their reign as owners, Hicks and Gillette constantly used the media to launch verbal assaults at management, fans and most often each other, with the public mudslinging serving to distract from on-pitch goals and embarrass the club.

The pair remained true to form by launching further litigation against Fenway Sports Group, Martin Broughton, Ayre, and anyone else who wears a tie around Anfield, just before the club entered a stretch of high-profile derby matches against Everton, which the Reds won 2-0, and Manchester United, who travel to Anfield on Saturday.

"It's an unwanted and unwelcome distraction. That's their prerogative but we remain extremely confident that we did the right thing," Ayre said, according to the Guardian.

Ayre also discussed the club's possibility of entering administration, something that ominously hung over the club before the sale to FSG last October.

"Certainly the bank had the power to call in the debt and at the time there wasn't anyone ready to take on that debt. So I guess the answer to that [would Liverpool have gone into administration] is yes. It's hypothetical but based on where we were and based on the circumstances at the time that was a very real threat. That was the case in the final hours. That was one of the other routes we could have gone down."

Much like a bad cold, Hicks and Gillette seem to be able to interminably harass and linger, although at this point they, and their litigation, seem to be more of a nuisance than a genuine problem.